Now Reading: Salman Khan recalls shelved Ramayana project from 1990s
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Salman Khan recalls shelved Ramayana project from 1990s
The Story in Brief
Salman Khan revealed at the Maatrubhumi trailer launch on Friday, 6 November 2026, that he and his brother Sohail Khan had announced a Ramayana project in the early 1990s, with Salman set to play Lord Ram. Filmibeat.com reports that Sonali Bendre was finalised to play Goddess Sita. News9live.com reports that the actor acknowledged the project when asked if he would play Lord Ram in a future adaptation, and that he recalled the film was shelved around 1996.
On why the film was shelved, the sources differ. Filmibeat.com quotes Salman jokingly saying a newspaper caption comparing him and Sohail to Ram and Lakshman prompted them to drop the project, and also cites a News18 report linking the shelving to Sohail's alleged relationship with Pooja Bhatt, which reportedly did not get family approval. News9live.com states Salman did not clarify the circumstances that led to the shelving. NDTV Profit's report focused on Salman's comments about the Ramayana epic and did not address the shelved project.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Filmibeat.com offers the most detailed account of why the project was shelved, presenting Salman's joking explanation alongside a separate News18 report about Sohail Khan's relationship with Pooja Bhatt. News9live.com is more restrained, reporting only that Salman did not clarify the reasons, while NDTV Profit covers a different aspect of the event entirely, ignoring the shelved film. The balanced reading is that the actor himself offered only a lighthearted reason, and the more serious relationship angle comes from a secondary report. No source contradicts any other on the basic facts of the project's existence and its shelving around 1996.
Neither source names a next step for any revival of the Ramayana project.
Coverage: 3 sources, 3 neutral
Sources (3): filmibeat.com (neutral report), news9live.com (neutral report), ndtvprofit.com (neutral report)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.
Update, 6 November 2026: this story now draws on 3 sources.
